Chapter 99: The Battle of Convictions

"Tetsutetsu, Kirishima, after seeing Bakugo's move just now, do you think your Quirks could handle it?" Kaminari asked quietly, watching Bakugo as he stubbornly declined assistance from the transport robot, supporting his exhausted body and slowly making his way into the corridor.

Both Tetsutetsu and Kirishima fell silent.

While their Quirks provided them with strong defensive capabilities, it didn't mean they were invincible. If they exceeded their Quirks' limits, they could still be injured… or worse.

"You don't think you could take it, right?" Kaminari continued, addressing the unspoken realization of the Class 1-A students around him. "Then maybe it's time to think about how you'd deal with attacks of that magnitude."

Tetsutetsu and Kirishima exchanged glances. After a moment, Kirishima flashed a determined grin, instinctively reaching up to touch his dyed red hair.

"For me, there's only one path forward," Kirishima declared confidently. "And that's to keep pushing my 'hardening' to new heights. I'm committed to this route!"

"Just like my idol, the 'Hardened Hero' Crimson Riot!"

"If I'm not tough enough, then I'll make myself tougher—tough enough to withstand anything that comes my way!"

He turned to look at Tetsutetsu, who usually shared his goals and ideals. "That's the same for you, right?"

Tetsutetsu remained silent. If he'd been asked this question earlier, his answer would have been identical to Kirishima's.

But after spending time with Kaminari and being mentored by Daimon-sensei, his perspective had started to shift. He was no longer focused solely on pure "strength" and "defense."

Now, he was thinking more about "technique" and "versatility."

"Hey, Tetsutetsu!" Kirishima raised his voice, surprised by his friend's hesitation. "Didn't you tell me once that you wanted to compete with me for the title of the strongest 'hardcore' Hero in the future?"

At first, Tetsutetsu's challenge had bothered Kirishima. But over time, he'd come to appreciate having a rival, someone else with the same goals and convictions.

Yet now, Tetsutetsu was hesitating.

What did that mean? Had he given up on the path of being "hardcore"?

If that was the case, then Kirishima couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"I'm telling you, Tetsutetsu… to be the strongest 'hardcore' Hero, you have to have the toughest defenses. That's the only way."

Tetsutetsu's gaze grew resolute as he stood up, meeting Kirishima's intense stare. "Being the strongest 'hardcore' Hero doesn't mean having the hardest Quirk. It's about overall strength."

Kirishima's face twisted in frustration, veins bulging on his neck. He grabbed Tetsutetsu by the collar, his grip reinforced by his Quirk.

"What's the point of being a 'hardcore Hero' without being the hardest there is?"

"Remember this," Kirishima said, voice thick with conviction. "No matter what your Quirk is, if you're taking the hardcore path, there's only one way forward: make yourself harder and harder!"

"That's the way Crimson Riot proved it!"

Bang! Crack!

With his body steeled by his Quirk, Tetsutetsu gripped Kirishima's hand firmly, prying it off his collar as he held his ground.

"I'm going to walk my own path, Kirishima—not Crimson Riot's!"

With that, he released Kirishima and turned, striding towards the exit. Their next match was about to begin.

"Come on. I'll show you what my path looks like!"

Clang!

Kirishima, usually easygoing, was clearly unwilling to back down when it came to this kind of principle. To him, the path of being "hardcore" was something sacred, not something you could just redefine on a whim.

He clenched his fists so tightly that the sound of metal clashing reverberated, and he followed Tetsutetsu toward the arena, his furious expression drawing worried glances from their classmates.

"Kirishima…" Ashido called after him, but he cut her off sharply.

"There's only one 'hardcore path'!"

"He can go his own way if he wants, but he doesn't get to call it 'hardcore.' The term 'hardcore' can only be used to describe the path Crimson Riot paved!"

With that, he strode toward his designated entry corridor, his focus intense.

"Kaminari, do you think they'll be alright?" Kyoka asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Yeah, they looked like they were really going at it…" Momo added, worry clear on her face.

Kaminari gave a reassuring nod. "Don't worry, there will be three teachers watching over them during the match."

Then he looked toward the field, his own excitement building.

This… this is what you'd call a true battle of convictions.

Between the two of them, Kaminari found himself more in agreement with Tetsutetsu. Taking a more versatile approach seemed more realistic to him than focusing everything on just durability.

But what exactly is Tetsutetsu's 'method'? he wondered, intrigued.

By now, the cement stadium, recently destroyed by Bakugo's battle, had been restored to pristine condition by the school's Cementoss-sensei. At the same time, Present Mic's booming voice filled the air once more.

"The eighth match of the first round—a showdown between two Quirks of raw, unstoppable power!"

On the big screen, both competitors' images appeared side-by-side, striking similar poses, which made the crowd chuckle.

"Representing the unbreakable spirit of steel! It's Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu!"

"And facing him, embodying the will of unyielding rock! It's Kirishima Eijiro!"

But despite Present Mic's enthusiastic introductions, neither Tetsutetsu nor Kirishima responded. The tension between them was palpable, like a storm waiting to break.

Kirishima's gaze was full of defiance, while Tetsutetsu's eyes remained calm and determined.

"Begin!"

BOOM!

"You need to show some respect for the 'hardcore path' and Crimson Riot!" Kirishima shouted, his arms hardened, as he charged forward, fury fueling his movements.

Bam!

With his entire body transformed into steel, Tetsutetsu charged forward without hesitation, meeting Kirishima's attack head-on.

"Of course I respect him! But my choice is still the right one!"

Under the watchful eyes of 120,000 spectators, these two determined young men, each driven by their own beliefs, roared and clashed in the center of the ring!

BOOM!

Their fists, one hardened to stone and the other gleaming like polished metal, collided with a force that sparked and crackled in the air.

"Their strength is perfectly matched!" Present Mic exclaimed into his microphone, his excitement radiating through the stadium. The crowd erupted into cheers, thrilled by the sheer intensity of the match.

As soon as their fists separated, Kirishima, still fuming, swung again, driving his hardened fist forward.

"What's this 'method' you keep talking about? Isn't this the real 'hardcore path'?"

"Then I'll show you what I mean by my path!" Tetsutetsu shot back, his stance shifting as he readied himself.

He took up a judo stance, watching as Kirishima charged in recklessly. Just as Kirishima closed the distance to less than two meters, Tetsutetsu made his move.

Sliding his right foot into position inside Kirishima's right leg, Tetsutetsu turned his body, ducking under Kirishima's punch. Using his right hand, he grabbed Kirishima under his left arm and leaned into him, using Kirishima's momentum against him.

Then, with a twist of his hips, Tetsutetsu hurled Kirishima high into the air, slamming him down onto the concrete floor.

CRASH!

As Kirishima's hardened back struck the ground, the arena floor shattered beneath him, splintering like it was made of brittle tiles.

Tetsutetsu exhaled a steadying breath, looking down at the stunned Kirishima.

"To be the strongest, you need more than just toughness. You need to combine 'technique,' 'strength,' and 'durability' into one."

"I might not have the hardest Quirk, but I'll be the strongest in history!"

"Kirishima, remember this—I'm following the path of the 'unbreakable,' not just the 'hardest'!"

***

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